


Make the Most of the Night

by LeChatRouge673



Series: Kissing Day 2017 [2]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 02:47:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12049713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeChatRouge673/pseuds/LeChatRouge673
Summary: For Kissing Day 2017. Takes place in the Songs universe, prompted by @lostspace114.





	Make the Most of the Night

**Author's Note:**

> For Kissing Day 2017. Takes place in the Songs universe, prompted by @lostspace114.

_Kissing Day, 9:38 Dragon_

 

Ravenna Hawke was, for the most part, ambivalent about Kissing Day. She did not dislike it as much as Thea did, or pretended to, anyways, but she was also not as enthused as Cataline usually seemed to be. Since Ven had started seeing Anders they had usually done something to mark the day, but it also usually just involved flowers and wine and sex in creative locations. Nothing elaborate. This year, however, Anders would be on call at the hospital, and Ven was about to do something very, very stupid.

She was actually going to put _effort_ into Kissing Day.

Not for Anders, or ever for herself, but for Cat and Thea. Cat seemed to be having a particularly rough time this year, and according to Thea it was because the other woman was missing Nathaniel more than usual. Even getting that much had been like pulling teeth: Thea barely acknowledged the existence of her former best friend, and when she did it was usually accompanied by profuse swearing such that would have made Isabela do a double take. For her part, Thea had been in a mood for weeks. Cat claimed she had no idea why, but Ven suspected she knew: she’d worked in the bar long enough to recognize a broken heart when she saw it. Usually, they spent Kissing Day together. Ven used to join them, before she got involved with Anders, but for the last few years it had just been the two cousins.

This year, Ven wanted to do something special for them. Cat and Thea had always been there for her, and Thea had been the only one Ven had been able to really talk to after first Carver, then Leandra, had died because Thea was the only one who understood that Ven needed to process differently than the others. Sweet-natured Cat had always been willing to stand in Ven’s corner when things got rough, and quietly made all the necessary arrangements to ensure that Ven’s past did not follow her to Denerim when she made the move permanent. So, even though she really did not care one way or the other about Kissing Day, she was also determined to make sure that her cousins-once-removed did not spend the day alone.

“Cat, what are you doing tonight?” She asked when she called, not bothering with any preamble.

“Void, Ven, I don’t know,” Cat sighed. “Thea has been so grumpy lately I don’t know if we were going to do our usual or not, and I’m almost afraid to ask. I’ll probably just stay home and watch a movie or something.”

“Wrong. You’re coming out to the bar with me and Thea and we are going to have a girls’ night out.”

“What?”

“You heard me,” Ven replied smoothly before Cataline had a chance to react further. “You’re going to come to The Hanged Man, Varric is going to mix us the most ridiculous drinks we can think of, and we are going to get shit faced drunk until we decide karaoke is a good idea.”

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Cataline laughed. “Alright, Ven, you know… that actually sounds like a lot of fun. But good luck convincing Thea. I was not kidding: she has just been in a dreadful mood lately.”

“Don’t worry about that, Catkin. Love you darling.”

“Love you too Ven. Good luck.”

Ven ended the call, then brought up Thea’s number. She had to dial three times before the younger woman finally answered.

“Someone had better be dying.”

“Not yet, although I could probably arrange something,” Ven retorted. “I want you to come out tonight with Cat and I. You’ve spent too long tending your wounded pride and broken heart. A night out with us will do you good.”

Thea was silent for a long moment. “Who in the world ever said I was heartbroken? Perhaps I am simply cranky because they cancelled my favorite TV show.”

“It’s possible,” Ven replied airily. “I think my scenario is the more likely however. Perhaps we should have a chat with Cataline about it. I’m sure she’d be _very_ interested to know just who has had you so distracted these past few years.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“Am I?”

Another long pause, and then a dry chuckle. “Ravenna Selina Hawke, are you _blackmailing_ me into celebrating Kissing Day?”

“Oh absolutely, Teddy girl.”

“You’re a stone cold bitch, Ven,” Thea laughed, “And I love you. What the fuck, I don’t have anything else planned, and maybe you’re right: it would be good for me to get out. But, Ven?”

“Yes, Thea?”

“I really would appreciate it if you did not mention anything about… about the past few years to Cat. Her life is complicated enough as it is.”

Ven smiled sadly to herself. For once, she was sorry she was right. “Sure, Thea. You have my word. Love you.”

“Love you too Ven.”

* * *

If nothing else, Ven reflected, tonight would be good for their egos. She could swear she could practically hear the jaws dropping when she walked in with Cat and Thea. Thea was wearing her favorite black dress with the lace overlay that hit her just above the knees and left her shoulders bare, offering just a hint of the tattoos there, and her auburn hair was pulled back away from her face and hung in thick waves down her back. Cat had picked a less suggestive dress in a flattering shade of lilac, but somehow still made it look as though it were made just for her: it hit every curve of her torso before flaring out at the waist, and she had woven violets into the braids crowning her head. Ven had worn the same vibrant crimson dress she always did when she wanted to command attention. She knew it brought out the black of her hair and the teal of her eyes, and it was nice to be able to wear it on this side of the bar for once.

They approached the bar, where Varric met them with a dashing grin. He’d donned a brilliant red bowtie for the evening, and he made an exaggerated bow in greeting.

“Ladies! You’ve gotta be more careful: you all walk in at once like that, you’re liable to knock half my patrons flat on the floor and then they’d present a tripping hazard.”

Cataline blushed slightly, but Ven could see she was grinning, and even Thea seemed to be trying to hide a tiny smile as she rolled her eyes. Ven just gave her best friend a not-so-subtle wink. “Can’t be helped, Varric. But why don’t you tell the girls here about the surprise we’ve been working on?”

“A surprise, huh?” Thea raised an eyebrow as she leaned against the bar, bumping Ven’s hip with her own. “You failed to mention _that_ part.”

“Don’t worry, Teddy girl,” Varric chuckled. “This one, I think you’ll like. Here,” he slid a glass across the bar. “Starkhaven silver whiskey, honey, lavender liqueur, and a dash of lemon. Smooth, mysterious, with just a little bit of bite. I call it Teddy Bear’s Picnic.”

“Aww, Varric…” Thea seemed genuinely touched by the gesture, and when she took a sip, she actually smiled.

“And for our lovely Violets,” Varric continued, presenting another drink, “We have vanilla vodka, green tea, simple syrup, and a garnish of candied violets. Sweet, light, and easy to love. We call it Spring Sunrise.”

Cataline giggled before taking a sip and giving a hum of approval. “This is wonderful, Varric. Did you two really come up with these just for us?”

“We did,” Ven nodded. “And they’ll go on the menu, so you two officially have signature cocktails. Happy Kissing Day.” She planted a kiss on each of their cheeks, and then one on Varric’s for good measure. “So,” she linked arms with Cat and Thea as they sipped their drinks, “You two ready to be any fun yet?”

Thea shot back the rest of her drink. “Make me about three more of those, we might be getting close.”

* * *

As it turned out, it only took two more. At that point, Cat and Thea were up on stage doing a slightly tipsy but still surprisingly harmonious duet of Beauty and the Beast. “Huh. Normally it takes at least five drinks before Thea will do Disney,” Ven observed with a broad smile. Varric chuckled beside her.

“It’s good to see them both smiling for once,” he agreed. “So. You figure out who we need to beat the shit out of for breaking Teddy’s heart?”

Ven shook her head. “No. You already know I have my suspicions, but I don’t think there’s enough alcohol in the world to get her to admit it until she’s good and ready. Besides, the whole point of this was for them to _not_ have to think about the past.”

Varric gave a snort of skepticism. “You know Violets is never going to let the Howe boy go. That man had better come home sooner rather than later.”

“Yeah, I thought about asking Anders to track him down,” Ven admitted.

“Do they know that Anders knows him?”

She shook her head. “No, and he’s agreed to keep it quiet for now. Somehow… I feel like this is something that just needs to play out, you know?”

“Yeah, Hawke, I get that,” Varric nodded sagely. “They’ll be ok. You all will.”

“Thanks, Varric,” Ven smiled, leaning down and brushing a kiss against his cheek. At that moment, the music changed to something much more up tempo and electronic. “Andraste’s ass… Varric, you didn’t…”

He just grinned. “Please tell me you’re getting video of this.”

Ven pulled out her phone with a laugh as Cat and Thea launched into an enthusiastic rendition of Barbie Girl.

“Oh I am _absolutely_ getting video.”

 

 

 


End file.
